Starting over

     My plan was to be able to update everyone today on my real food challenge and say how wonderfully excellently perfect I did but that would be not exactly true a lie. I realized that I chose a very bad week to start the challenge. It was my birthday week! I did great up until my birthday and when all of the wonderful friends in my life wanted to celebrate it with me. I don't know about you but I never realized just how much we celebrate with sugar. As someone who likes sugar a little bit a whole heck of alot and is a tad bit majorly addicted to it, this was an impossible temptation. Now that all of the celebrating is over, I am re-starting  today, right now, not a second later! All of the rules are the same as in my last post and seeing as how I only get a year older once a year noone should be bringing me donuts. Unless of course they are made with all real foods. "hint hint". So without further ado today is Day 1!! I hope next Monday to be celebrating with all of you how great I feel but I imagine with the way I like sugar a little bit way too much that I will be talking about the withdrawal I am having but it won't be long until I am shouting how great I feel!!

      One of the things I love about spring is the babies we have on the farm. So I decided to share some pictures with you of all of the cuteness we have added so far. I sure do love this life that God has blessed us with.

This is Lucy. She is a heifer calf that we bought to raise for meat. She is what is called a freemartin and cannot get pregnant but we will love on her  everyday that she is with us.

These are 2 little bucklings that were born yesterday afternoon. I think baby goats are just about the cutest thing God made. I love these little guys already. They still need names.

Last spring one of the baby goats knocked over my meat rabbit pens and the rabbits got away. Last week I found these little ones in the barn. There are 6 of them in total but we were only able to catch 5. The 6th one enjoys sitting in the middle of one of the goat stalls and then darting away as soon as I begin to open the door.

I cannot be trusted at Tractor Supply. A couple weeks ago I went in to buy feed and came out with 20 chicks. You can never have too many eggs. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing the new faces on our farm. Happy spring!!!!

~April

Acts 14:17 New International Version (NIV)

17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

I am either crazy or very smart!

Well, I have finally done it. I have either become crazy or I am going to feel like a whole new person in 100 days. I have no idea why I decided on 100 days but I guess if I last that long then it will probably (hopefully) become a life long change. I have decided for the next 100 days I am going to not eat anything processed. It has to either be grown, raised, foraged or hunted here or be something that could have been. I will be scouring farmer's markets and Amish bulk stores. I will probably be driving my family crazy and at first I may even be a little mean to them. Sorry family, please just remember it is the lack of processed things talking, especially the lack of sugars. I may have a headache for awhile but I believe by the end I will feel better then I have ever felt before.

Here are my rules:

1. It cannot come in a box
2. It can not come from a grocery store
3. It can be anything I grow
4. It can be anything a local farm grows
5. It can be anything from a tree that a local farm grows
6. It can be anything foraged on my farm or a local farm
7. It can be anything that comes from my goats
8. It can be meat that comes from our cow, pig, chickens, ducks, turkeys and rabbits
9. It can be eggs that come from our ducks and chickens
10. It can be anything that grows wild on my farm or a local farm
12. It can be from my bees
13. It can be from the trees. (maple syrup)

I also have a few exceptions to my rules:

1. I am still buying coffee. I do not know of anywhere local that grows coffee and I think for the safety of everyone around me I should still have coffee.
2. I will be buying wheat berries and yeast from a local bulk food store to grind my own flour for pancakes, breads, waffles etc.
3. I will buy local Amish butter. I do not have the resources right now to churn my own butter.
4. I may have to buy some real maple syrup and local raw honey . I am almost out.
5. Raw apple cider vinegar
6. I will be buying milk from a dairy until my goats are providing me with milk in a couple weeks.

I will also be making an exception next Saturday. My wonderful daughter already has a birthday party planned for me and I do not want to ruin her fun so I will allow myself for that one meal to eat what she has planned.  :)

I realize this is going to be a hard road at first but it is one that I am willing to take and I believe the Lord will be right by my side. I will have weekly updates about how it is going. I cannot wait to see how I feel at the end. This mornings breakfast was great, even though the taste of the coffee without all of that flavored creamer will get some getting used to.

Breakfast today:

Bacon, eggs, potatoes with onions and coffee sweetened with maple syrup and whole milk.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you and hope you will comment and me know what you think. Have a blessed Sunday!!

~April

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

I got this idea from an awesome blogger I have been following. Please go check out her blog. She even has a great members area for only $5 a month. I think it is worth the money!!  Farm Fresh For Life